Download - Democratization Through Oligopolies? A Power-Critical Analysis for Social Media

Democratization through oligopolies?

A power-critical analysis of social media

Changing Media – Changing Democracy?

Exploring the Democratic Potential of Social Media

Vienna, 7 Nov 2014

RICARD PARRILLA – STEFAN GADRINGER – JOSEF TRAPPEL


A power-critical analysis of social media

1 Introduction. 2 Theoretical framework. 3 Research design. 4 Analysing the deliberative performance of social media. 5 Conclusions

1 Introduction: RQs and hypotheses

Social Media plural and democratic deliberation

STRUCTURE CONDUCT PERFORMANCE

Core research question

To assess how far social media are platforms providing the conditions for a

plural and democratic deliberation of public affairs

Assumption 1: A majority of the norms that affect the conduct and

performance of social media are defined by themselves.

Assumption 2: The discourse in social media is dominated by

established actors, with little participation by actors of

the civil society.

Democratization through oligopolies? A power-critical analysis of social media PARRILLA - GADRINGER -TRAPPEL (2014)

1 Introduction: Market structure

Source: Desk Research GfK Austria September 2013; Digitalschmankerl

AUSTRIA 2013 GERMANY 2013 USA 2013

Pop

ula

tio

n 1

00

%


0

500

1000

1500

2000

2500

3000

3500

4000

* Users in

thousands

1 Introduction: Market structure

AUSTRIA 2014


2 Theoretical framework

The way it is regulated What actually happens

Str

uctu

re

Conduct

Perf

orm

ance

Regula

tion

FREEDOM

CONTROL

EQUALITY

FREEDOM

CONTROL

EQUALITY EQUALITY

DELIBERATION

EQUALITY

?

Media for Democracy Monitor (2011)



Str

uctu

re

Conduct

Perf

orm

ance

Regula

tion

?

3 Research design Indicator ‘Supervision & Transparency of Data‘

‘Supervision

& Transparency‘

‘Supervision

& Transparency‘


Str

uctu

re

Regula

tion


Regulatory safeguards for the existence of institutionalized

mechanisms to control and inform about core aspects of the social

media system

Accessibility of detailed information about the social media system


Str

uctu

re

Regula

tion


Regulatory safeguards

Accessibility of information

-

+ EU-level safeguards and stricter national safeguards

no safeguards


Str

uctu

re

Regula

tion


Regulatory safeguards

Accessibility of information

-

+ publicly accessible information

on all core aspects of social media

no publicly accessible information



“...in order to effectively guarantee freedom to provide services and legal

certainty for suppliers and recipients of services, such information society

services should in principle be subject to the law of the Member State in

which the service provider is established.”

Directive 2000/31/EC , Preamble (22)

Facebook Ireland Ltd


3 Research design.


Str

uctu

re

Conduct

Perf

orm

ance

Regula

tion

?

‘Pluralism in SM‘ ‘Pluralism in SM‘

‘Diversity of

voices‘

‘Participation

minority groups‘


Conduct

Regula

tion

3 Research design Indicator ‘Pluralism in Social Media‘ P

erf

orm

ance

Regulatory safeguards for

establishing/maintaining

pluralism in legislation



pluralism in organisational

structure

Diversity of voices

Ways for participation in digital

discourse (minorities)


Conduct

Regula

tion


erf

orm

ance







structure

Diversity of voices


discourse (minorities) -

+ EU-level safeguards and stricter national safeguards

no safeguards


Conduct

Regula

tion


erf

orm

ance

Diversity of voices






structure




-

+ Organisation documents contain

Explicit norms;

Standardised procedures for pluralism

No related documents No standardised procedures


Conduct

Regula

tion


erf

orm

ance

Diversity of voices

-

+ Majority of content is produced or raised by the public at large

Majority of content origins from professional actors




structure







Conduct

Regula

tion


erf

orm

ance


discourse (minorities) -

+ Plenitude of minority groups

related content, participation and interaction

No participation of minority groups in digital discourse







structure

Diversity of voices


4 Analysing the deliberative performance of social media.

Discourse content analysis

Agenda setting traditional media vs. Social Media

Newspapers

TV

Radio

Online

Posted Content SM

Most relevant issues

Most relevant tags

• Similarities

• Differences

• Voices



Issue: Austrian Army (Bundesheer);

25 most relevant FB-posts

(3-5 Nov 2014) (multiple linkages possible)

Voices:

Traditional media 14

Political parties 9

Corporations 7

NGO 4

Government Org. 2

City 1

Band (Music) 1

Education 1

User 1



Facebook: Tag analysis

50 most relevant tags on Facebook (3-5 Nov 2014): (multiple linkages possible)

Voices: Issue categories:

Traditional media 17 Entertainment 13

Corporations 15 Gossip 11

Person of public interest 9 Society 10

Community 7 Sports 7

Political Parties 3 Advertising 5

Users 3 Politics 2

NGO 1 Technology 2


5 Conclusions

1 Starting point: oligopolies and lack of reliable information. 2 The research design facilitates an analysis of the democratic performance of social media. 3 There is need for assessing how far social media are regulated and how

far they contribute to deliberative discussion.



A power-critical analysis for social media